Manually controlled key device

ABSTRACT

A device (301) having manually controlled keys (310), in particular for controlling actuator devices of a motor vehicle, particularly for electric window winders and/or electric door locks and/or electric rearview mirrors, comprising means (317, 305) operative to determine at least one electrical signal in dependence on the operation of at least one of these keys (310) and including a specific electronic unit (27) for processing this electric signal for the respective actuator device, in which the electronic unit (27) includes an integrated circuit (25) for treatment of the information signals relating to the operation of the actuator device, the integrated circuit (25) being connected to a printed circuit (305) which is common to means (317, 305) operable to determine at least one electric signal in dependence on the operation of at least one of the keys (310), and both the printed circuit (305) and the integrated circuit (25) are housed in integral portions (380, 320) of the frame (302) of the device (301).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a device having manual control keys, inparticular to a device of the type for controlling at least one actuatordevice in a vehicle, particularly for electric window winders and/orelectric door locks and/or electric rear view mirrors, in which a DCelectric motor is driven to actuate the displacement of an associatedactuation member.

BACKGROUND ART

As is known, currently for the control and drive of such actuatordevices conveniently fitted on vehicles, and in particular motorvehicles, use is made in practice of a wiring system having wiresdedicated to supplying electricity to the motor, which wires lead from acommon central control unit for various actuator devices which includerelay units, limiter circuits etc. This wiring system involves variousdisadvantages of a general character such as: the complexity anddifficulty of fitting bundles of cables, the large number of electricalconnections, the difficulty of identification of breakdowns, and thecomplexity of tests for operation of the installation during and/orafter assembly to the vehicle, and in particular involve disadvantagesfor the control key device in that the full power current flows throughthem.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The object of the present invention is that of providing a manualcontrol key device for controlling at least one actuator device,particularly in a motor vehicle, which can be produced and assembledvery simply and with a high level of functional reliability, suited to adrive and control system which overcomes the above-indicateddisadvantages, in particular a system of the type described in ItalianPatent application entitled "A Control System for a Plurality ofElectrical Devices in a Vehicle" filed on the same date.

According to the present invention there is provided a manual keycontrol device for controlling at least one actuator device, comprisingmeans operable to determine at least one electrical signal in dependenceon the operation of at least one of the said keys, characterised by thefact that it includes a specific electronic processing unit forprocessing the said electrical signal for the said actuator device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention a particularembodiment thereof will now be described, purely by way ofnon-limitative example, with reference to the attached drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a view from above of a manual key control device formedaccording to the principles of the present invention; and

FIGS. 2 and 3 are respective sectional views taken on the lines II--IIand III--III of the key device of FIG. 1.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to Figures from 1 to 3, the reference numeral 301generally indicates a manually controlled key device which comprises, ina substantially known way, a main frame 302 in the form of a shapedcontainer with a substantially square section, conveniently made ofplastics material, having a central portion 380 which defines aninternal space 381 by two pairs of parallel vertical, respectivelyorthogonal walls 304 and 308; in the internal face of the two facingparallel vertical walls 304 are formed two horizontal grooves 303 whichserve as housings for lateral edge zones of a printed circuit board 305which is thus disposed horizontally in the main plane of the frame 302.

From the upper region of this frame 302 extend two facing parallelvertical walls 304' at a relative distance less than that between thewalls 304, and between these walls 304', in the middle zone thereof,there is a horizontal square section portion 307 the relative dimensionsof the side of which are greater than the thickness of the walls 304' sothat between this horizontal portion 307 and the associated verticalwalls 308 of the frame 302, perpendicular to the walls 304 and 304',there are two spaces 309 in which are housed respective manuallyoperable rocker type keys 310. These keys 310 have an upper portion 312with an undulating surface and are of substantially rectangular formwith their major sides extending perpendicularly between the walls 313which, in the middle region, have respective lower projections 314extending outwardly with respect to pivot pins 315 which, conveniently,snap-engage into respective cavities in the walls 308 and the horizontalportion 307.

Downwardly from each key 310, from the two end regions of the upperportion 312, extend respective legs 316 which, in the rest positionengage against respective flexible conductor elements 317 commonly knownas "bubble switches" which in the rest position contact onlyperimetrally on the upper face of the printed circuit 305 which supportsthem. When a pressure is exerted on element 317 from above (by thethrust exerted by the respective contact leg 316 when the key 310 ismade to rotate in one of the two possible directions), they deformachieving electrical contact on the printed circuit 305 with theircentral portion thus causing an electrical signal indicative of thecommand movement effected with the key 310. When the pressure on theseelements 317 ceases, to allow the key 310 to return to its stable restposition, they also return into the stable position resting only ontheir perimeters.

On the upper face of the printed circuit 305 there are also connectedtwo respective light emitting diodes (LED) 350 which are orientatedupwardly and in correspondence with the central region of the upperportion 312 of each key 310; in particular, each key 310 has, beneaththe upper portion 312, a snap-engaged portion 352 of plastics materialwhich defines within it a shaped channel 353 for conveying the lightenergy from the central region overlying the light emitting diode 350towards a region 354 of the upper portion 312 of the key 310 where thereis schematically indicated the symbol of the actuator which the key 310is adapted to control (in the specific case illustrated this actuator isan electric window operator).

Near their tops the walls 308 have external projections 360 which aresnap-engageable with respective seats formed in the inner face of anupper perimetral edge 361 of an external cover plate 362 of the device301, which has a square, flat upper portion 363 of dimensions veryslightly greater than the upper dimensions of the frame 302 so as tocover it completely, and with two spaces 365 from which the upperportions 312 of the keys 310 project. Downwardly from the lower surfacesof the flat portion 363 of the plate 362 extend two walls 366 whichcouple on the outer surface of the upper portions of the walls 304'whilst downwardly from the lower surfaces of the two opposite sides ofthe perimetral edge 361 extend respective pairs of external projections368 for snap-engaging onto a convenient support, for example the door ofa motor vehicle.

According to the present invention this frame 302 integrally includes,below the central portion 380, formed by the walls 304 and 308, aportion 320 formed by two pairs of parallel vertical, respectivelyorthogonal pairs of walls 321 and 322, which form a second space 325underlying the space 381.

Within this space 325 there is housed an electronic unit 27 for thetreatment of control information signals for the actuators, produced byactuation of the keys 310, according to the system described in the saidItalian Patent application entitled "A Control System for a Plurality ofElectric Devices on a Vehicle", and the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference. In particular, this unit 27 utilisesthe lower face of the printed circuit board 305 already present in thedevice 301 for the operation of the flexible conductor elements 317, andto this printed circuit-305 there are connected:

three electrical contact element 330, 331 and 332, conveniently ofcylindrical type, which are housed in a connector portion 333 whichextends centrally and below a flat, Substantially square plate 385 whichhas a pair of opposite lateral edges which are housed in respectivehorizontal grooves 386 formed in the inner face of the pair of walls321; this connector 333 is adapted to couple with a correspondingconnector block 333' (illustrated in broken outline) at the end of anelectrical cable 335 having three electrical conductors a first of whichis a power level positive electric supply line, the second of which isan information signal transmission line, and the third of which isground connection line. This electrical cable 335 conveniently extendsfrom a main central control unit, including a microprocessor, towardsthis device 301 conveniently disposed in a vehicle door; and

an integrated circuit 25 for the treatment of information signalsrelating to the actuation of the keys 310. This integrated circuit 25can conveniently include specific logic circuits or a microprocessor,solid state switches etc, and can perform an overload current andoverload voltage protection circuit, diagnostic and monitoring circuitsetc, also in combination with other discrete circuit components 339,also connected to the printed circuit 305.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The advantages obtained with the key device of the present invention areevident from what has been described in that, thanks to the electronicunit 27 which allows the information signals relating to the operationof the keys 310 to be processed without these keys having to be directlyconnected to the power supply cables to the associated actuators, theassembly and reliability of the control system is considerablysimplified by the significant reduction in the number of connectionwires as well as the associated connections; moreover this electronicunit 27 makes it possible to provide a malfunction diagnostic functionand to have a greater safety in operation of the vehicle in thatpossible anomalies can be indicated in good time to the driver, andoffers a reduction in repair times in that the repair engineer can begiven an indication of the type of anomaly. All this obviouslytranslates into a simplification of testing both on the assembly lineand at the end of the line. The provision of a specific electronic unit27 for this device 301 also makes it possible to vary the type ofoperation of the type of device itself with the simple modification ofthe specific electronic unit and, possibly, of the central unit. Thehousing of this electronic unit 27 is moreover achieved in an economicway both because the same printed circuit board 305 already present inconventional devices is utilised and because it involves only a simplemodification to the conventional frame by means of the integral portion320 which does not substantially alter the most critical dimensions ofthe device 301 which, therefore, can still be housed in the door in theusual position. Such a frame 302 could therefore also be used fordevices 301 whether or not they have the electronic unit 27.

Finally, it is clear that the embodiment of the present inventiondescribed and illustrated can have modifications and variationsintroduced thereto which do not depart from the ambit of the inventiveidea contained in it. For example the configuration of the integralportion 320 and the manner of housing of the integrated circuit 25 canbe varied, as can the number of electrical contact elements of theconnector 33 and the number and configuration of the keys 310 andassociated flexible conductor elements 317, which could be replaced bysoft touch keys.

We claim:
 1. A manually controlled key device comprisinga main frame formed by two pairs of walls, the walls of one pair being orthogonal to the walls of the other pair, a cover plate, said cover plate extending generally orthogonally to the pairs of walls of the main frame in a manner covering a first open end of the main frame, and having connection means for removably connecting the cover plate to the main frame; at least one aperture in the cover plate; a printed circuit board, mounted in said main frame and extending substantially orthogonal to the pairs of walls of the main frame and dividing the interior of the main frame into a first and a second space; at least one key, partially accommodated in the at least one aperture of the cover plate, said key including an actuation portion which slightly protrudes outwardly from the cover plate, support means which cooperates with the main frame for supporting the key in a displaceable manner, and at least one leg which protrudes into the first space of the main frame; electrically conductive, elastically resilient contact means, supported by said printed circuit board and arranged in said first space in a position facing said leg of the key, the resilient contact means being displaceable by said leg upon actuation of the key, for opening and closing an electrical path of the printed circuit board; an electronic unit supported by and electrically connected to said printed circuit board, said electronic unit being arranged in said second space and processing an electrical signal received from said printed circuit board in response to displacement of said contact means by manual displacement of the key and generating information signals for an actuator device as a result thereof.
 2. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one aperture comprisesa pair of apertures in the cover plate, and said at least one key comprises a pair of keys, each of said keys being partially accommodated in each of the apertures, a relatively thick separating portion being provided on the cover plate in a middle area between the apertures and projecting into the first space between side walls of the actuating portion of the keys.
 3. A manually controlled key device according to claim 2, wherein said keys are rocker type keys, each of which is pivotably supported on a respective one of the walls of the main frame and a respective side of said separating portion in a manner allowing the key to rock between a rest position and two operative positions.
 4. A manually controlled key device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one leg of each key comprises a pair of legs, and wherein each of said legs acts on a respective said resilient contact means.
 5. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one leg of said key comprises a pair of legs, and wherein each of said legs acts on a respective said resilient contact means.
 6. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, wherein at least one light emitting element is disposed on a side of the printed circuit board which faces said cover plate, and wherein said at least one key has a light transmissible portion.
 7. A manually controlled key device according to claim 6, wherein said at least one key has a light conveying part attached to an underside thereof, said light conveying part having a light conveying channel formed therein, and said light conveying channel extending from a first area overlying said light emitting element to a second area underlying said light transmissible portion for conveying light energy produced by the light emitting element from said first area to said second area and enabling the emission thereof through the key.
 8. A manually controlled key device according to claim 7, wherein the light transmissible portion of the key is in the shape of a schematic representation of the actuator device for which the information signals are generated by the electronic unit in response to displacement of the key.
 9. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, wherein said electronic unit comprises logic circuits.
 10. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, wherein said electronic unit comprises diagnostic and monitoring circuits.
 11. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, wherein said electronic unit comprises a connector having at least three external connection elements for external connection to an electrical connection cable including at least a first power lever positive electrical supply conductor, a second information signal transmission conductor, and a third ground connection conductor.
 12. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, wherein said elastically resilient contact means is a switch.
 13. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, wherein said switch is a bubble switch.
 14. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one key controls at least one of an actuator device for an electric window, an actuator device for adjusting the orientation of an electric rear view mirror, and an actuator device for an electrical lock.
 15. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, further comprising a second cover plate, said cover plate extending generally orthogonally to the pairs of walls of the main frame in a manner covering a second open end of the main frame, and being detachably connected to the main frame.
 16. A manually controlled key device according to claim 15, wherein a lower side of the second cover plate has thereon a connector housing for removably retaining a connector of an electrical cable therein coupled with electrical connection elements of the electronic unit, said electrical connection elements extending from the printed circuit board, across the second space, through the second cover plate and into the connection housing.
 17. A manually controlled key device according to claim 1, wherein the cover plate has two side walls which are disposed inwardly of a perimetral edge of the cover plate and which mount onto outer surface portions of the walls of one of said pair of walls of the main frame; and wherein pairs of attachment members extend from said perimetral edge in a direction generally parallel to the side walls of cover plate into a position for holding the key device to a vehicle body part into which said main frame has been inserted. 